Lukashenko held off the decision on "a currency problem"

25 августа 2011, 17:38

The Presidential Administration held a meeting on current issues of social-economic development, and the main question was the foreign exchange market situation.

During the meeting the president said that the situation in the foreign exchange market will be stabilized in 1.5-2 months, and according actions of the government and the National Bank of Belarus will be announced on the next week.

It is still unknown which will be the new rate. Earlier, the president set a task to the government and the National Bank to fix the single rate, which would be at the level of Br5000 for U.S. dollar. The dollar rate on the "black market" has already exceeded the level of 8300 rubles. However, this does not scare the country's main bank, which fixed the rate for tomorrow at the level of 5053 rubles.

Alexander Lukashenko has promised that there will be no deposits freeze: "We have no need to do it today. No need - it gives nothing".

He stated the necessity to deal with rising prices: "Whether this permissiveness of local authorities and the heads of certain enterprises, covering with the price disparity with Russia, is hidden behind it?", asked Lukashenko.

The president almost admitted that previously the state stuffed the economy with empty cash: "Can the people eat properly? Do the people have enough money? I'm not saying that we should throw away a lot of money as it was before. The money is to be earned."

At the same time Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the indexation of pensions, allowances and salaries will continue: "Although we are criticized for the fact that we have increased the pension and indexed wages, but this policy is necessary and it will be continued."